Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Rubber plantations are spreading fast. The INROAD project reached 1.8 lakh hectares of new rubber trees across the Northeast and West Bengal, hitting 90 percent of its goal. This six-year initiative launched in the 2021-22 fiscal year and now covers 113 districts with 1,79,376 hectares of new growth.
The project carries an Rs 1,100 crore price tag. It spans Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and West Bengal. Industry giants Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF fund the work through the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, while the Rubber Board of India handles operations on the ground.
Project Chairman Mohan Kurian noted that teams overcame early COVID-19 pandemic hurdles to hit these marks. He stated, "the project has also focused on strengthening local nurseries and enhancing the capacities of rubber growers, reflecting collaborative efforts between the tyre industry and the Rubber Board."
The push is moving into its next stage. The Rs 145-crore iSPEED initiative focuses on quality at the source by building model smokehouses and training farmers. Digital and in-person sessions will teach better cultivation habits to over two lakh people already benefiting from the project.
Production counts will rise. Once trees mature, the region should yield three lakh tonnes of rubber annually. This surge will push the Northeast from its current 15 percent share of India's output to as high as 45 percent, firmly cementing the region as a primary source for the country.
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